What the Mainland Media Say | Deleted Xinhua report gives rare insight into China corruption
By stating corruption is a systemic problem, article contradicted party line that it is all down to individual moral weaknesses
A recent Xinhua report, since scrubbed from the internet, gave a rare insight into how official positions are bought and sold - call it the marketplace of graft.
The article was unusual because it presented corruption as systemic, which runs counter to the Communist Party line that graft is a moral failing of the individual. The person is the problem, and the solution is to kick them out of the party, put them on trial and send them to jail.
But if corruption is inherent in the system as it's currently structured then the fix is much more daunting - and dangerous to the legitimacy of the party.
The article, entitled "Who are the buyer and the seller?", said graft-busters had identified three types of people who might try to buy positions - those who were eager for a promotion, those who wanted to be transferred from a poor unit or region to the rich one, and people outside government who wanted in.
The main sellers are senior officials, particular the top official in a region or a unit who has power over personnel matters. The No 2, and sometimes the third and even fourth-in-command, take bribes to help people get promoted.
The Xinhua report also detailed the methods buyers used to pay.
Some borrowed from banks, while others sought sponsorship from businessmen who would reap the benefits after the official was promoted. Some used money obtained through bribes or other corruption. Buyers could also pay through instalments, just like a homeowner might pay their mortgage.